Stories from the Market

Hello! Connor and Emma here, summer students at the Ontario Farmland Trust. You might have seen us at your local farmers’ market over the past month. We’re lucky to be able to travel around Southern Ontario and talk to community members like you about farmland loss, and how it affects all of us.

While at the markets we’ve heard dozens of stories: heartwarming walks down memory lane that wind through the fields of family farms; histories of families working the land in Ontario for over two hundred years; and the simple joy of weekly visits to the farmers’ market for fresh, local produce. It’s amazing to hear stories from all across Ontario.

Stories from marketgoers like James, who is worried that local food security will be impacted by the continued loss of farmland in his area.

Grace, a community member, shared her personal story: “I miss the open fields I grew up in; there’s a certain perspective you get from being raised alongside farmland, I think, and I’m worried our children will miss out on that special connection to the land.”

Or the countless stories from local farming families, such as the McIllvery’s, who have lived and farmed in Southern Ontario for decades. They hope to protect their farmland so their children and grandchildren can continue the agricultural legacy they have built.

“We are stewards of the land,” Dave of Simcoe County believes, “and with the ongoing development and loss of agricultural soils, it’s our communities who will suffer when we can no longer feed ourselves.”

The best part of our job is talking to you. Whether we are at markets or talking with you at your door, we love sharing stories and having conversations about what makes Ontario farmland so special to you. We are so happy to be part of such a passionate and friendly community. So, if you catch us in your neighbourhood, or at a local market, come have a chat and tell us what you love about Ontario farmland!

Our Mission

The Mission of the Ontario Farmland Trust is to protect and preserve Ontario farmlands and associated agricultural, natural and cultural features of the countryside through direct land securement, stewardship, policy research and education for the benefit of Ontarians today and future generations.